Secrets in Her Eyes
by The Shojo Otaku Writer
Summary: Maka is sick, and Soul has yet to find out. Her father threatens to reveal her secret as she struggles to keep it from the world. How will this affect Soul and Maka's relationship? The bigger question: What will become of Maka?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Maka Albarn leaned over the toilet bowl, taking sharp breaths of air whenever she could as she puked out the breakfast she had forced herself to eat so as to satisfy her weapon, and partner, Soul Eater. She had become more frequently like this; always sick and feverish. She glanced down at the healed- over cut on her upper arm, the reason for the venom that now festered within her body.

It has happened on their last mission, and they were after a witch said to be wrecking havoc on a nearby village. Naturally, Soul jumped at the chance to take a witch's soul, and the team of two set out on their new orders, eventually coming face to face with Misa the trouble-making witch.

It turned out though, that this witch was more than what Maka and Soul had bargained for, and they had struggled throughout the entire battle, but nevertheless, found a way to destroy her for good. Before they were able to nab her soul, however, the witch manically lifted her hand , pointing it at Maka, and mumbled some indecipherable words. As if on command, a snake shot from Misa's bloody fingertip and flew straight for Maka's heart. Although caught off guard, she successfully avoided a fatal blow from the snake's venomous fangs. She hadn't noticed the slight scratch until that night when they were back home and she had gone for a shower.

Little did she know was that a scratch was all the witch's damn snake needed to utterly destroy her.

As Maka washed her face clean of the cold sweat resting on her pale skin, she was grateful she had told Soul to go on ahead to school. She didn't want him to know about the way she was now. Not yet.

As she walked to class, slowly and carefully, so as not to trigger the nausea that seemed to always be lurking, she tried to make her expression seem more decent, or vacant, in case someone could see the anxious fear in her eyes that seemed sadly obvious when she looked at herself in the mirror.

"Maka!" She heard Tsubaki call her name in her warm, inviting tone of voice. She looked up and over to Black Star's ever-patient partner, who fell into step with Maka's sluggish walk. "Good morning!"

"Morning, how are you?" Maka inquired of Tsubaki, who grinned in a silly fashion as she held up a boxed lunch.

"Black Star forgot his lunch again. I ran back to our house to bring it to him so he wouldn't get cranky."

"So that's how he is when he isn't fed." Maka giggled, "Just like a little kid."

"I know, I can't believe he still forgets his lunch sometimes!" Tsubaki rolled her eyes, playfully smiling with Maka.

They came to a stop outside their classroom, and Tsubaki suddenly looked closely at Maka's face, frowning ever so slightly.

"W-What is it?" Maka blinked awkwardly, taking half a step backward and running into a wall.

"Nothing, it's just…you're very pale, Maka. Are you feeling alright?"

"Y-Yeah, totally!" Maka waved her arms in front of her face, grinning nervously at the observant girl.

"Oh…well if you're sure."

Class dragged by, especially for Maka, as she tried not to throw up when Professor Stein dissected and speculated another species of bird before them. Soul continuously glanced over at Maka, who didn't seem like her usual self. He knew that even though the dissecting was pretty boring, she would always take notes or pay close attention in case of an upcoming test. But all she did was rest her head on the desk and shut her eyes, as if she was taking a much needed nap. When Stein dismissed the class, Soul shook Maka's shoulder gently, actually waking her up as he did so.

"You were sleeping?" Soul asked in bewilderment of her unusual behavior.

"Guess so, sorry…" Maka mumbled. Soul frowned in confusion.

"Didn't sleep well?"

Last night, Maka had tossed and turned, for hours on end, icy chills spreading through her entire body, and was so uncomfortable she eventually got up and paced her room, stopping every half hour or to dry-heave into the toilet with the door locked, just in case Soul could hear her.

"Yeah, but I'm fine. It was just a bit hot last night." Maka fibbed, forcing herself to smile at Soul who didn't seem to buy the story but left the subject alone for the time being. Maka looked around and found, to her surprise, that she and Soul were the only ones left in the classroom. She got up, remembering where she was supposed to see Stein in the clinic. Soul stood as well, and she glanced at him apologetically.

"Sorry, I have something I have to do." Maka explained vaguely, straying away from his side. Soul continued to scowl, as she reached the door, he called out to her.

"Hey, Maka!"

"Yeah?" She answered, not meeting his eyes.

"If there's something you want to talk about, you know you can tell me, right?"

"Yeah." Maka repeated, although the reassuring smile she showed him didn't seem genuine. Even so, she retreated out the room and rounded some corners, soon coming to a stop outside the clinic, where she knew her father and Stein would be waiting inside for her. She slid open the door, and faced the her homeroom teacher/doctor, who wheeled over to her on his office chair, fiddling with the bolt screwed in his head as he did so. He solemnly ushered her over to an empty patient's bed, where she silently laid down. A few minutes later, as Stein had just finished running some tests on Maka, Spirit, her father, burst through the door, near tears, as always, when it came to his daughter.

"Dad…" Maka mumbled, sighing heavily at her dad's over-emotional ways.

"MAKAA————!!" Spirit dashed over to Maka, wrapping her into a tight over-the-top bear hug, which she attempted unsuccessfully to avoid. "ARE YOU ALRIGHT? DO YOU NEED ANYTHING? FOOD? WATER? A PONY? A DRAGON?"

"Dad…" Maka repeated, only this time in a half-choked squeak. Her father, in response, released her from his grip, placing only his hands on both her arms.

"Now, don't forget! I'll do my best to make you as comfortable as possible! Now you listen to what Stein recommends and you'll be just fine."

"I was doing just that before you came in here all blubbery and loud…" Maka muttered darkly.

"Oh, right. Good, good. So what's the diagnosis, doc?" Spirit grinned half-apologetically at the man who could easily pass as a mad-scientist.

"Honestly, it's not much better than last time you were here, Maka." Stein began. "The venom is spreading, and there isn't much I can really do for you at the moment. I'm still trying to put an antidote together, and that may take time, which you may not even have."

Maka closed her eyes, taking this in. Spirit glanced at his daughter before speaking aloud.

"Do you think Soul should know about this yet?"

"No." Maka answered immediately. "He doesn't need to know. If I can be cured, there's no point in causing so much worry to him."

Maka's father turned and stared at her incredulously.

"But he will notice sooner or later that you're deathly sick! He's not stupid! It only makes everything worse if you're keeping secrets from your own weapon!" Spirit yelled.

"You would know about that, wouldn't you, dad?" Maka spoke coldly, referring to her parents' broken marriage. Maka bit her lip as she sat up from the bed, watching her father storm to the door of the clinic.

"If you don't tell him soon, I will!" Spirit snapped, before leaving the room in a huff.

"Dad…" Maka murmured in a hushed voice, placing her head in her hands.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Maka returned to class, her face paler than before from the shock of her father's pledge to expose her grave condition to Soul. She made a tight fist, determined not to allow that to happen, even if what she said was cruel, it was impossible to deny that it was also the truth.

Her emotions must have shown clearly on her face, for when she sat in her chair, Soul leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"Hey, you sure you're alright? You look really awful." Soul muttered in his low voice. "If you want, I can get you home and I'll make some tea or something."

Maka shook her head defiantly, even though the mention of tea sounded heavenly. But she didn't want to entertain Soul's idea that she was really ill.

"_That's right…"_ Maka thought, as her eyes began to grow heavy with deprived sleep and sky-high stress, _"I can get through this…Nothing's wrong…"_ Her eyes closed, and she plunged into the pressing darkness of sleep.

The next time she woke up, she was on the couch in her house. A cold cloth was being pressed to her head, and through her delirious, blurred vision she saw Soul leaning over her holding a thermometer between his fingers.

"S..oul…" Maka mumbled almost inaudibly. Hardly noticing her, Soul adjusted his girlish headband, and picked up a glass of water from the table. Next thing Maka knew, Soul had propped up her head, and was pushing the glass against her parched lips.

"Drink." Soul commanded his meister, before Maka opened her mouth and allowed the water to rush down her achingly dry throat. When the glass was empty, Soul pushed it to one side of the nearby table and patted the cool, damp cloth to every part of her face, cleaning the sweat that had layered itself on her skin.

"You know…" Soul broke the silence, "you could have told me you weren't well. I was wondering what was up with you lately. What, you got the flu or something?"

"Yeah…something like that…" Maka responded, lying half-heartedly.

"I mean, passing out in the middle of class is ridiculous. You should stay home if you're sick. It's as simple as that."

"Mm. Sorry…" Maka apologized.

Maka suddenly looked down, and realized she had been dressed in a pair of her pajamas. A heavy blush fell on her cheeks, and she shot a look at Soul, who looked back at her blankly.

"What is it?" Soul asked.

"Did you…?" Maka pointed at the set of clothes she wore in reference of what she meant.

"What? Oh, no, Blair helped. I sent her out a while ago to buy some energy drinks for you. Come to think of it, where is that cat, anyway?"

Maka leaned back into the couch, relief washing over her again like an extra blanket. As she settled back into the couch, the front door opened, and Blair waltzed into the living room, grocery bag in hand.

"Hey, everyone! I'm back!" Blair grinned boisterously at the two.

"Late enough? Man, where do you go when we ask you to go buy something for us?" Soul complained, snatching the drinks from the magical cat-girl.

"So I made a few pit-stops, no big deal, right?"

"Hmph!" Soul said gruffly, pushing a large bottle of a green tea flavored liquid in Maka's face. She took it gratefully.

"Oh, Maka! You're awake! Man, you missed a show! You should have seen how frantic Soul was when he burst in here with you in his arms! Total mess!"

"Hey, shut up, Blair!" Soul poked the mouthy girl in the arm, before she winked knowingly in Maka's direction and transforming into a cat to escape out the window. "Geez she needs to learn when to keep her mouth shut…"

"Soul…I'm sorry I made you worry…" Maka pouted regretfully at the boy.

"Yeah, well, whatever. Just hurry and get better, ok?" Soul retorted. "I'm going to sleep. Do you need anything?"

Maka shook her head, and watched Soul leave the room. She sighed heavily, and looked up at the ceiling, silently wishing to herself just how much she wanted to "just hurry and get better". But she knew she wouldn't, even though she wanted to with every dying part of her body.

The rest of that night, she was continually getting up from the couch to get sick in the bathroom. At one point, she pulled away from her almost permanent spot at the toilet to find that mixed with what must have been the energy drink she had drank earlier, was blood. Immediately, her father's voice echoed in her head.

_How much longer can you keep this from him?!_

Hot, muted tears stung Maka's eyes and face as she keeled over on the cold, tiled floor, where she eventually fell into a dreamless slumber of quiet stillness, as if she had been plunged deep under water.

* * *

**Hey there everyone! A thousand apologies 4 not updating much.... No excuse really besides the fact that I just wasn't in the writing mood. And if I'm not in the mood, I just don't write well... Anyway, this is the fanfiction that I'm giving my full attention 2 just cuz I'm luving this plot so much, and I know where I'm going with this. Anyway, I'll make sure to get to the other fanfictions eventually. **

**Don't forget 2 visit my profile! You can check up on what's going on with the updates by the fanfiction titles!**

**I luv u all so much! Thx 4 the patience! ^____^"  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The next morning came, and Soul yawned widely as he roused himself from his tangled sheets. Drowsily, he dragged himself to the kitchen, where he began fixing a pot of tea. He glanced over at the pile of abandoned blankets on the couch, and he raised his eyebrows in a puzzled gesture.

"Maka?" Soul's voice bounced through the house, and he poked his head in her empty room, then came to a stop outside the bathroom, knocking on the door. "Hey, you in there?" When no one answered, he pushed down on the handle, but realized it to be locked. "Maka! Answer me!" Feeling slightly panicked, he pushed down on the handle until the lock gave way and the door swung open to reveal Maka's unconscious form sprawled out on the floor. He lifted her head from the ground, and tapped her cheek with the back of his hand in an attempt to wake her. He suddenly noticed a streak of blood stained down the side of her mouth, just as Maka opened her eyes.

"Wha-? Oh, Soul…" Maka recognized her partner through her tired vision. "What's wrong?" Soul's expression was completely and utterly shocked, which confused her.

"What's wrong? What's wrong with YOU? Passing out in the bathroom, and spitting up blood? What's up with THAT, Maka?"

"Nothing! Geez, I must have cut myself on the tiles or something." Maka stood up unsteadily, shooting Soul a defensive glance as he followed her out the bathroom.

"There's something you aren't telling me! What's going on!?"

"Nothing!"

"STOP LYING!" Soul slammed his hands against the wall, blocking Maka from getting away. Breathing heavily, he pushed his forehead against hers, locking eye contact. "I've known something was up for a while now. Why is it so hard to just tell me the damn truth? I thought…we were a team…" Soul's voice cracked during his last sentence.

Maka's eyes widened in hurt realization at the amount she had been keeping from Soul. She glanced away from him, feeling sickly guilty at what she had done. Soul, meanwhile, pulled away, and walked off, back to his room where he began getting ready for class.

"_It only makes everything worse if you're keeping secrets…" _Maka's father's voice echoed in her mind. Suddenly, she was running. She flung open Soul's bedroom door, her eyes filled with tears.

"Soul!" Maka cried out, seizing him around the neck and sending them crashing to the floor. He sat up awkwardly as she held to him tightly. He was quiet the entire time she bawled into his shirt, and sobbed apologies profusely. Once she had calmed down enough to speak coherent sentences, she told him the whole story, from the witch's snake, to Stein's daily check-ups.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Soul asked, rubbing her back consolingly.

"Because! You're always worrying about me! I didn't want you to feel scared for me this time! I felt I could handle it on my own without causing you trouble." Maka responded hiding her face in his shoulder.

"But…I was already worrying about you even though you hadn't told me anything…" Soul rolled his eyes. "And you don't have to keep everything to yourself. Instead of one of us bearing the burden of worrying, why don't we just share it, huh? It's better than being alone, right?"

Maka nodded in agreement, a small smile resting on her face. Soul looked around his room, before remembering something else that had bothered him. He looked back down at Maka.

"Hey, so should you really have been in school this whole time since you've been sick?"

"No…but I wanted to go…because I didn't want you to skip to look after…me." Maka answered in a lethargic voice.

"Well, I don't care. It's my choice if I want to stay with you when you're sick, ok? That wouldn't be your fault. Get it?"

He waited for Maka's answer before later realizing she had fallen fast asleep in his arms. He heaved a sigh, not wanting to move in case he woke her up. So, instead, he shifted his meister so that she lay in a more comfortable position on his lap, and lightly stroked the hair from her eyes, smiling softly at her sleeping expression.

"You're alright. You're not alone now, you understand?" Soul whispered in her ear, before leaning back against the wall and falling asleep as well.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Later that same evening, a knock sounded on Soul and Maka's apartment door. Shortly after Soul had yelled, "Come in!", Spirit Albarn barged through the room, throwing open the Soul's bedroom door as he did so. When he discovered Maka lying snugly in Soul's jeans, her hand still fisted tightly around his waist, Spirit's eyes nearly bugged right out of his head.

"W-What do you think you're DOING??? Spirit snarled at the picture before him. Soul sighed heavily. Great, the overbearing parent thinks he was taking advantage of his daughter.

"Are you taking advantage of my little Maka!?"

"What if I am?" Soul asked, deciding to tease him a bit, as he now watched in an amused manner as the Death-Scythe blubbered incoherently.

"How dare you! Especially when Maka's in such a condition-!" Spirit suddenly slapped his hand over his mouth in realization of what he had just said.

"It's alright. Maka already told me."

"O-Oh, she did, did she?" Spirit coughed in a composing way, before continuing, "Good. That was one of my original intentions for paying a visit here."

"What's the other reason?" Soul scowled impatiently.

"Well, it's about the antidote. Stein is making some progress."

"Really? That's great!" Soul gave a half-smile as he looked up at Maka's father's solemn expression. "That is great…right?"

"What? Oh, yes it is, but…the problem is it's going to take almost a month to finish, if we're even that lucky."

"A month!?" Soul glanced at Maka, lowering his voice, "But there isn't even a guarantee that Maka can stay alive that long! What if she's dead before the antidote is produced!?"

"Soul!" Spirit almost shouted, his expression furious, "You can't allow yourself to think this way! If you truly want Maka to be restored to health, you need to believe she has the will to get through this. Do you understand me? This is the only way to help her. The antidote is her only chance of survival."

Soul was silent as the father spoke, listening to every word, before nodding in agreement.

"Right, I'll be with Maka every step of the way. Besides, I already know my meister won't perish because of something like this." Soul smirked while Spirit knelt before him, a completely serious expression in the Albarns' eyes.

"Over the next few weeks, Maka will become sicker and sicker. She will hallucinate, scream, cry, forget who she is, and beg for someone to end her life. During these weeks, you have to do everything in your power to keep her alive. Keep her heart beating." Spirit spoke, as if reading straight from Stein's data charts. "You have to be the one to do this, because you are the one that shares the closest soul connection to her, and she will have a sense of peace when near you. Even though she'll be in excruciating pain, she will know you, even if she doesn't know herself."

Soul did nothing but stare down at his meister as Spirit told him all this. But when he fell silent as well, the young weapon gave an almost imperceptible nod, his eyes shaded from view.

"I won't let her die. Not ever."

"Good to hear. Almost reassuring." Spirit straightened up, before heading back to the door. Before leaving, however, he placed his hand against the door's frame, and smiled. "She's just like her mother, Maka is. And if I know anything about that woman, it's that she would never just give up and die without a fight. And a good fight at that."

Morning came in dark, low-hanging clouds that shadowed Death City entirely. Maka's eyes opened to the dull sound of thunder, and stared up at the ceiling that she eventually comprehended was not hers, but Soul's, and the pillow she was lying on was, in reality, his lap. He was leaned against the wall, fast asleep as she sat up and recalled everything that had happened the night before. Her eyes felt dry from so much crying, and she made her way to the bathroom, splashing cold water in her face. She then took a lengthy shower, listening to the sound of the water hitting the shower curtain and the tiled floor beneath her feet.

When she pulled her towel around her body, she looked at her distraught self in the mirror. She had lost weight, if that was even possible, and her eyes bore dark purple circles that had seemed to have taken up permanent residence on her face.

Maka changed into a new pair of pajamas, feeling clean and refreshed, then made her way to the kitchen where she was soon flipping pancakes and making tea. She didn't notice when Soul entered the kitchen, but when she became conscious of his presence, he was already pushing her aside from the counter, a disapproving look on his face.

"S-Soul!" Maka stammered, dropping the spatula that Soul easily caught in his hand before it could hit the floor.

"Go sit down, stupid. I'll finish this twice as fast as you normally do." Soul muttered, continuing where Maka had left off with the pancakes. She glared at her partner, a pout resting on her lower lip.

"Hmph!" Maka huffed, but choosing not to argue, sat at the dining table with a book she had yet to finish. She did owe him for his incredible patience the day before, not to mention she needed to make it up to him for lying about so much.

Soon, Soul appeared, a stack of pancakes in hand, and set it down before his meister. Maka blushed slightly as he added a teaspoon of honey to her tea. He knew her so well that it was kind of scary sometimes.

"There you go. Oh, and here…" Soul dropped a small prescription bottle, filled with tiny pills, on the table. "Take one every day before breakfast, and you'll be able to keep your food down. From your dad."

"My...dad?" Maka blinked in surprise at this. "He was here?"

"Yeah, but you were sleeping, anyway, he just came for…a chat." Soul half-bluffed.

"Oh…it's just that…I said such horrible things to him a while ago, when I was in the clinic getting checked by Stein."

"That so?"

"Yeah, I wish I could have apologized…"

"I don't think it's something to worry too much about. After all, he wasn't acting all that mad or anything. Just worried, I guess."

Maka popped open the top of the bottle, then swallowed one of the pills with a swig of tea. Soul turned to clean up the kitchen, but Maka grasped his wrist, stopping him. He didn't turn, knowing the next words out of the girl's mouth would be too embarrassing to face.

"Thank you, Soul." She whispered.

"Yeah…" He replied, before gently brushing her hand with his own, a tender gesture that both seemed to understand.

A gesture that left the pair feeling warm and completely at peace, even though things were so wrong.

* * *

**ok. lol wow this is just getting cheesier by the paragraph...(4 those who dont like it, u better stop now cuz its only gonna get cheesier...) well, lets c, writing this chapter made me feel happy inside ^^ I hope you all liked it 2....**

**i was thinking about writing another Soul Eater fanfic after this one, cuz i like writing about the conflict with Maka and her dad (of course there will b pairings between Maka and Soul mixed in it as well).**

**anyway, i hoped u like this so far!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Maka! How are you feeling?" Tsubaki smiled, seating herself at the edge of the meister's bed that evening. Maka smiled at her school-mate, pleased that she had come to visit her. After a long discussion with Soul, they had both agreed that Tsubaki and Black Star had the right to know of her condition. When the two friends had first arrived, Black Star had completely lost it, when he heard the news, and had yelled at Soul for not noticing something was wrong sooner. Tsubaki eventually convinced her feisty meister to go back home and wait for her there, saying she would make some of his favorite foods for dinner. Now that Black Star had left, it was much quieter, and Tsubaki could reach out for her friend without her partner being a disruptive nuisance.

"I'm alright, really." Maka said, in answer to Tsubaki's inquiry. The black haired weapon frowned, unconvinced.

"Maka, you don't have to pretend to be so nonchalant. I know you must be in great pain." Tsubaki placed a hand on Maka's shoulder, glancing at the circles under her companion's eyes that flickered to Soul for a second, before lowering to the blankets that were placed over her.

"You're right. I am in pain. Excruciating pain. But I don't want you to see that. You're my friend, and I don't want you to be sad because of me, so I will say I'm ok, even though I'm not." Maka continued to smile. "Sorry. I'm selfish, huh?"

Tsubaki, in turn, wound her arms around the bedridden girl, and whispered, "Maybe. But it's an admirable kind of selfish."

"Thanks, Tsubaki." Maka said into her ear.

"Stay strong. You are an amazing scythe meister who can overcome any hardship. But it's always ok to ask for help if you need it. Don't forget that."

When Tsubaki had left, Soul seated himself beside Maka's bed, a thermometer in hand, and a bowl of rice in the other. After taking her temperature (which was, in fact, ridiculously high) he offered to feed her. Maka frowned with distaste at the thought of food, but agreed to force down at least a few spoonfuls of the rice.

It was nearing midnight when Soul said it was time to go to sleep. Maka gave a slight laugh, waving Soul off like a queen. He smirked and stood to go.

"If you need anything, go ahead and ask. Don't hold back, ok?" He insisted.

"I'll be fiiiine! Go to sleep." Maka grinned, before Soul nodded and left the room, leaving the door cracked open.

An hour later, Maka deliriously woke to an unbearable sense that something was biting her arms and legs. She flung back her duvet cover, and found hundreds of snakes digging their fangs into her flesh, hissing loudly. She swallowed hard, forcing back a scream. She understood now, that she would be hallucinating these kinds of things. But was the pain real, or all in her mind? She couldn't think through the blinding ache in her limbs, and she rolled out of bed, crawling to her door. The snakes were being dragged with her, and she pushed herself farther down the dark hallway, towards Soul's room. She pushed open his door, staggering to her feet, breathing heavily.

"S-Soul, I-!" Maka stammered, her voice hoarse and loud in her ears.

"Maka?" Soul's bedside light came on, illuminating him as he sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes.

"T-The snakes are hurting my l-legs and arms…" Maka spoke in quick, hasty words. "I-I don't know w-what to do…"

"Snakes?"

"It's only a ha-hallucination, but it f-feels real... Sorry, I-I didn't want to wake you up…"

Maka hadn't noticed Soul get up and walk over to her, for her eyes had been focusing on the ground, shameful that such a thing as a hallucination made her fall apart in this way. But before she knew what was happening, Soul had gripped both her wrists and put her hands on his face.

"You're going to be fine." Soul said when she looked up at him. "You'll be fine."

Maka nodded, her eyes blinking back a gathering of tears. She shook her head, angry at herself, as the snakes disappeared from her body.

"So disgraceful…" Her voice cracked.

"Wrong!" Soul tapped her forehead with his knuckles.

"Huh?" Maka's shoulders slumped.

"You called for me." Soul spoke gently. The pair stood unmoving, unsure of what to think or say next. Fortunately, Soul seemed to understand this, and pulled her into his arms, where she hid herself from the world, yet simultaneously allowed a single person to witness everything she kept hidden deep inside herself.

* * *

**hey all! sorry i havent updated in a while. been busy with SAT preperations.... but hey, i'll try my best 2 update as much as possible! sorry 4 the wait! (i didnt like how the ending of this ch. came out...i won't make the next chapter as gushy and..i guess romantic?) I'm trying 2 keep them in-character and its proving 2 b a bit of a pain.... **

**Anyway, hope u like it anyway! luv u all!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Maka awoke the next morning, snuggled into Soul's shirt, his arms wrapped tightly around her middle. She breathed in his scent, inhaling deeply as she lay contentedly under the heavy blanket. She soon decided to get up and go for a shower. However, as she attempted to move away from Soul, a frightening amount of pain burst through her entire body. This feeling of burning at a stake seemed to reach down into her very bones.

The pain didn't fade away this time.

Maka lay there, barely enduring the fearful ache that blurred her vision and forced her to bite her lip until it bled so as to remain silent. She lay on her back, her eyes brimming over with hot, rebellious tears that flooded down the sides of her face, staining the powder-white sheets beneath her paralyzed form.

"Maka?"

Maka tilted her head slightly, and found Soul sitting up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He then stared into her eyes in a frighteningly anxious way. Flushing furiously, she imagined what she must have looked like to him.

_Weak_

_Pathetic_

_Pitiful_

All these words flew through Maka's thoughts, until she finally looked away from her partner in utter humiliation. But instead of speaking of how she looked ridiculous lying there in his bed, unable to move, he sat beside her silently, holding her hand as the burning sensation racked her entire being with unseen flames. As she shed hopeless tears, Soul spoke to her in a calm, steady voice. He reminisced of their life together as partners, starting from day one. He grinned proudly as he recounted all the tasks they had completed because of their astounding teamwork. And he whispered about all the moments she had simply astonished him with her courageous wonder and iron-clad will.

The entire time he chattered, Maka listened, taking in every one of his words. She concentrated on Soul Eater Evans, her faithful partner who would do anything for her. She tightened her grip on his hand, smiling with a tremendous effort. Soul smirked at this, and the room became quiet once more.

She didn't know when she had fallen into an unconscious state, but when she next woke up, Soul was gone, and she was still resting in his room. She pushed herself into a sitting position, and looked out his window, realizing that the sun was high up in the sky, meaning it must be around mid-day.

She threw off Soul's thick blankets, and stepped lightly to the kitchen, where her weapon was setting down plate after plate of food.

Rice noodles, thin slices of meat, bowls of oatmeal, eggs and bacon, chicken soup, all foods of different varieties were laid out on the dining room table. What was even more confusing was the fact that there seemed to be no one around to eat it all.

She cautiously walked farther into the kitchen, and tapped Soul on the shoulder. To Maka's amusement, he jumped in surprise, nearly dropping a plate of fried chicken to the floor.

"Geez, Maka!" He muttered.

"Sorry." Maka muffled a giggle. "What's going on? You having a party without my permission or something?"

"No…And what are you doing up?"

"What are you doing with so much food?"

"Maka…" Soul spoke in a low, warning tone of voice.

"Is it so hard to believe I just woke up and wanted to walk around a bit?" She pouted playfully.

"From this morning's events, yeah, it is hard to believe."

Maka fell silent for a moment, before speaking in a quieter, more serious voice, "Was it bad?"

"You don't remember?" Soul asked, surprised at this.

"Bits and pieces. But it's really vague, like it was just a really bad nightmare."

Soul was the one who was hushed now, "Yeah, it was pretty bad."

"Did I scream?"

"No, you looked like you couldn't if you wanted to."

"Was I crying?"

Soul glanced away from his meister's sad expression, before muttering, "…yeah, you were."

The kitchen's atmosphere had become heavy with discomfort from the turn of conversation. Soul walked out into the dining room to place the last of the dishes on the table. Maka followed.

"Well, help yourself." Soul said to her. She looked blankly at him as he gestured to the packed table.

"Eh?"

"The food. I didn't just make it for my health y'know. I did it for YOUR health."

"For me? But, Soul I can't eat all that…"

"Yeah, whatever, just eat what you can. I didn't know what you'd be in the mood for, so I just made everything."

"But-!"

"Can't you just be grateful and say 'thank you'?"

"Th-Thank you…"

"You're welcome. Don't forget to take the medicine before you eat."

As the two ate at the overflowing table, Maka continuously glanced at her partner when she was sure he wasn't looking. She wished he was always as nice as he had been lately. It was only because of this wretched illness that he was being so cooperative and patient. He was doing a damn good job of it though.

"Soul?"

"Mm?" Soul mumbled through a mouthful of noodles, looking over at her.

"Thank you for putting up with me this whole time…I'm probably a huge pain to deal with right now, right?"

Soul swallowed his noodles, and sighed, looking into his half-empty bowl, as if searching for words to say. He glanced up again at Maka, his dull red eyes completing his bored, spacey expression.

"You're not a bother. In fact, you're more of a handful when you're well." Soul began.

"Oh, thanks…" Maka muttered sarcastically.

"But, somehow, I miss you're energetic, moody self. You haven't Maka-chopped me in a while now." Soul laughed at this last part. Maka glared at Soul, wishing she had a book to throw at him.

"I wish this never happened…" Maka suddenly whispered, shaking her head, "I'm so careless…"

"Hey, don't feel so bad about it. Feeling guilty isn't going to help you."

"Yeah, you're right."

"I always am." Soul's mouth formed a toothy grin as he leaned back carelessly in his chair.

"I wouldn't go that far…" Maka snickered. Soon, the two were laughing uncontrollably, and to them, just for a moment, everything seemed like it was going to be ok. Like nothing in the world could go wrong.

Everything was perfect. For a single moment.

* * *

**HELLOOO!!! ok, so I'm beginning to see that I'm stalling for time b4 the climax...i realllyyy don't like writing dramatic stuff sumtimes cuz i feel like I'm being clich'e. But nevertheless, i hope u like this chapter. kind of a filler chapter (lol is there a such thing?). I liked writing this one tho, cuz it was kinda funny.**

**I'll try 2 update soon! luv u alll!!!  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Days flew by, then two weeks. Every minute of it was torture for Maka. During this time, however, there were no fanged snakes or burning hallucinations. There was no emotion or pain that described how she felt. The only word was Death. And she stood in its doorway, staring into the darkness that forever seemed to wait for her to give in to it.

Soul didn't sleep anymore. He was constantly by his meister's side, looking after her, watching for any signs that were out of the ordinary on her part. Twice, she had forgotten who and where she was. She only recognized Soul, her partner. Black Star and Tsubaki had completely vanished from her memory, and Kidd and his partners had been away, busy on the missions Maka and Soul were unable to complete.

Soul had received an update on how the development of the antidote for Maka was going, a report that didn't seem to give much information on the matter at all, glossing over important details, and if it would even be complete by the time the month was over. He had crumpled up the unenlightening letter, and flung it furiously into the trash, yelling angrily at nothing in particular.

"Soul?" Tsubaki called gently from where she was sitting on the couch, a few feet away from the raging weapon. He faced her, his expression exhausted and upset.

"It's nothing…Sorry." Soul murmured, beginning to retreat to Maka's room, where she had taken up a seemingly permanent residence.

"Ok. Well, I better go. Black Star is probably skipping out on studying since I'm not there to force it on him."

"Yeah, thanks for helping me with Maka."

Since Maka had become a bit more worse for wear, and had lost the ability to walk, Soul had asked Tsubaki to bathe his meister every day, something he couldn't bring himself to do, even though they were so close.

"Oh, not at all! I don't mind. If there's anything else, just let me know."

"Thanks." Soul repeated, before Tsubaki took her leave, promising to come back the same time the next day.

_She knew she was dreaming…yet it felt so real that it scared her. The door loomed over her, the door creaked wide open so she could gaze unseeingly into the impenetrable darkness. Inside, she heard a familiar voice. It was warm, kind. The most welcoming sound she had heard in a long time. _

"_How are you doing, sweetie?" The question echoed from the shadows within the door-frame._

"_Who are you?" Maka asked the person, taking no steps toward the door, but curiously squinting forward._

"Maka."

The young girl's eyes snapped open, gasping as she did so. Soul stood over her, leaning down so their faces were only inches apart. She flushed, and sat up abruptly, her head colliding with her partner's. He groaned, backing off to the bedside chair, rubbing his own brow so as to recover from the unintentional blow.

"This is what I get…for trying to take your temperature. Man. So not cool…" Soul reached into his pocket and pulled out a thermometer. "Guess that since you're finally awake, we'll actually do this right." Without another word, he jammed the medical tool into Maka's mouth, muffling her embarrassed apologies.

"Well, that was a good sign. Haven't seen you move around so much in a number of days. It was…a painful reassurance." He smirked at her astonished expression.

"You surprised me…" Maka argued, slowly pushing herself to sit in an upright position.

"Heh," Soul continued to sneer humorously, "so how do you feel?"

"How many times are you going to ask me that every day?"

"Until I'm convinced you're telling the truth."

"Well if you must know, I feel like real crap. Are you happy now?"

"Not exactly, but I'm glad you're telling the truth. It's more than what you did before I knew about this curse."

"Come on, don't bring that-!" Maka protested, but came to an abrupt halt when she saw what was standing behind him.

"S-Soul…do you see that?" Maka whispered hesitantly, lifting her hand to point to the corner of the room.

"Eh? See what?" Soul turned and looked toward where Maka's shaking fingers indicated. The room was empty besides the two of them, but she obviously saw something he didn't.

"But…he's right there!" Maka stammered, her voice wavering in her ears as she watched the creature move towards them, coming to a stop beside Soul.

The demonic image resembled the evil spirit that caused trouble within Soul's soul. And as Maka stared at it, the imp stretched its mouth into an evil, malevolent grin that sent shudders down her spine.

"You're going to diiiieeee…" The gremlin snickered manically, pointing its grimy finger at her, before bursting into a round of cackling.

"Maka!" Soul yelled, taking hold of her shoulders and shaking her anxiously. She had been staring blankly toward the floor for a few minutes now, unresponsive to his words. She looked up at him, slowly seeming to come back to her senses. The demon had faded away from her vision. For now.

"Soul…the creature…it said that…"

"What creature? What are you talking about?"

"It said that…I was going to die…" She whispered, as if Death may arrive if she spoke too loudly of it.

"Hey, that's not true, you fool. You think I'd let you die?"

"What if it's right…what if I'm meant to die?" Maka murmured, laying down on her pillow, seeing nothing as she closed her eyes, exhausted. Soul's eyes widened in an emotion that he hadn't felt often: Fear.

"Y-You're not…" Soul stammered, and Maka's eyes reopened to look at him questioningly, "You're not giving up..?"

Maka smiled weakly, and placed her hand on his curled fist that was resting by her own, reassuring him.

"Of course not, Soul. I'm fine."

Soul was quiet for a while, taking in her false words.

"So, you're back to lying?" He whispered, breaking the silence.

"Huh?" Maka stared at him in slight bewilderment.

"Heh.." Soul let out a dry laugh, placing his hand over his eyes, "I see how it is. You're going to let yourself die, aren't you?"

"Soul-!" Maka reached out to him, but he stepped back.

"Don't you understand the mess you'll leave behind if you just…let everything go?" His words were choked now, and his shoulders were shaking. "Don't you understand..the mess you'll leave me in?"

"Just-!" Maka began, but she voice died in her throat when she took in his painfully heartbroken expression.

"No, you listen to me! You are my scythe-meister! You've studied every day since you started at DWMA! You read so much I'm surprised you haven't sprouted mushrooms from your head! You annoy me all the time with your stupid obsession with attendance, and you're really indecisive, moody, and quick-tempered! You have no sexual appeal, and your chest is as flat as a chessboard! I always wonder why I put up with you, and I've never come to a definite answer! Even now, I'm not sure why I care about you enough to go through so much hardship! All I know is that if you die, I won't ever be able to move on! So don't you DARE say you might die! Because if you do, then you aren't the Maka I know! She would NEVER allow herself to become discouraged because of an illusion!"

Soul fell quiet, and stood, breathing heavily, a few paces away from Maka's bedside.

Minutes later, Maka smiled, and got up from her bed, although this was extremely painful, then moved to stand in front of Soul, who looked at her in a bemused way.

"I understand." She said, her voice a sincere whisper, spoken between irregular gasps of air. She held herself around the waist, her legs quaking under her. She then wound her arms around her weapon's middle, repeating those two words over and over, restoring his faith in her, little by little. Because she comprehended, right then, that Soul truly needed her. And that she felt the same for him.

* * *

**ok, i've dragged this out WAY too long. I need 2 finish lol. next chapter, the stein and her dad r coming back. cuz i feel like i just wrote one long-ass filler**, **and i KNO how tortuous fillers r....anyway, sorry 4 the drama in this chapter. NO MORE CAVING, MAKA! O by the way, i discovered a way 2 write a sequel 2 this, so ill b doing that. It's going to concern Maka's mom. Will b dramatic and awesum lol! well, thats all 4 now! thx 4 reading...O.O i honestly am so happy u do lol!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The third week of the month passed, and after what seemed like much longer than just that, Stein visited Soul and Maka for a check-up and update of news. Spirit Albarn arrived with the scientist, grinning foolishly, as if pretending nothing was wrong with his only daughter.

"Maka-chaan!" Spirit cooed to her as she lay propped against her pillow in her bed. "How are you!?"

"Terrific…" Maka muttered, rolling her eyes sarcastically.

"Well, the good news is, the antidote is complete." Stein interrupted. Soul looked particularly relieved to hear this as he slumped back into his bedside chair. Maka too, seemed to relax a bit more into her sheets. Stein, however, continued to stand with his unemotional gaze locked on the young sickly scythe-meister. Spirit looked on at Stein with unsettled curiosity in his eyes.

"Unfortunately though…" Stein continued, "the cure is deadly."

"What do you mean? Aren't we trying to make Maka get better?" Soul snapped at Stein impatiently.

"Yes. But she has to survive the treatment to do that." The man smirked in a twisted manner that sent shivers up Maka's spine. She shook it off, and looked Stein in the eye, a small smile playing on her discolored lips. "Do you accept these risks?"

"I do." She answered. The words were firm and confident sounding to her as she nodded in agreement with Stein's terms.

"Good…then shall we begin?"

Soul looked at Maka in an un-assured way. She grinned in reply, lifting her hands in a thumbs up. Soul forced a smile at this gesture, squeezing her wrist before releasing his sweaty grip to make room for the medical equipment that was being rolled into the bedroom.

After everything was ready, Stein looked down at Maka, who was now lying flat on her back and looking up at the ceiling, unable to move because of the restraints that had been strapped across her body. Soul sat in the far corner of the room so as not to be in the way. Spirit stood by the weapon, a grim look on his face and his hand on Soul's shoulder.

"This is going to hurt. A lot" Stein spoke softly as he pulled out an injection from his pocket containing a questionable blue liquid. "Stay alive, and think of everything that matters to you, and why you need to stay in this world."

The injection was jabbed deeply into her forearm, and the liquid entered Maka's blood. And then, the pain started. The pain that stole the breath from the meister's lungs. The pain that made it incredibly difficult to think of anything else except when death would come. It was more than she could handle, more than her body would ever be willing to handle. So she shut down, and fell into solitary, utter darkness.

"So this will be more difficult than I predicted, huh?" Stein shook his head, stepping away from Maka's limp form and leaning back against the wall. Soul glared darkly at his teacher.

"What's going on here, Stein?" Soul almost hissed.

"We will know sooner or later. In the meantime, we can only wait."

"But-!" Soul responded.

"This is something Maka has to do alone." The older man spoke, a jagged edge to his voice that silenced the weapon.

"Don't die, Maka. That would be really un-cool. Especially for you." Soul thought, closing his eyes and closing his empty hands into tight fists.

_The door was open. And Maka knew without needing to squint that the person she had heard before was still there, waiting for her. Waiting in that dense, heavy darkness…_

"_Maka-chan. I'm here for you…" The voice rang like music through the shadowed doorway, and Maka sluggishly registered that the voice was female. _

_How bad would it be, really, to take a few steps inside? She could always turn back, right? She just wanted to meet the woman who continued whispering kind words in her ear. _

_A mocking snicker made Maka turn to find the same imp she had hallucinated in her bedroom, standing behind her. It's face wore an expression of malevolent mischief that caused Maka to stiffen uneasily._

"_Do you want to seeeee…what's beyond the door? It's a big surprisseee…" The creature sneered, holding out its grimy hand, as if offering to lead her to the woman beyond the threshold. Maka hesitated, clasping both her hands together, unsure of what to do._

"_Will I die if I go with you?" Maka heard her voice echo eerily around her._

"_You'll be finnneee… Don't worry…." The imp answered, the grin it wore stretching even wider over its face._

_She didn't believe him. But she wanted to. Suddenly, passing this imp's test became priority to her, and she found herself allowing the imp to guide her into the unknown. _

_A shadow came into view, ahead of Maka and her escort, and the room brightened due to the dim glow of candles that abruptly came to life with tiny blue flames. Maka came to a stop, and her eye was drawn to the single bright red chair in the middle of the room that faced her. _

_In the chair was a woman whose dirty blonde hair waved down to her shoulders, her dark green eyes reflected Maka's, and lengthy black dress reached to the floor. She smiled as Maka stared in complete disbelief, slowly mouthing the only word that came to her._

"_M-Mama?"_

_

* * *

_**GAAASPPPP!!! lol i hope it was kind of a surprise as 2 who was beyond the door.... anyway lets c...my thoughts on this chapter would b...well idk, i guess im happy cuz im past the frieking climax, and now i can do the falling actions, and the of course the sequel....i'll update soon cuz i rly just want 2 finish...**

**well, i hope u liked so far! ^__~  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"_Mama..?" Maka stared incredulously at the woman's face. The face that she had come to know from the old photos her father had given her when she had disappeared from their lives._

"_Sweet child…come closer. Let me see how much you've grown." Her mother smiled kindly down at her daughter. _

_Maka unconsciously moved nearer to the shadowed woman in the chair. _

"_What are you doing here?" Maka inquired coming to a tentative stop before the velvet piece of furniture. The woman leaned forward, a small smile settled on her mouth._

"_Don't worry about that yet, darling. Tell me what YOU'RE doing here instead."_

"_Me? Well, I wanted to…I wanted to know what was beyond the door, I suppose."_

"_Really? Aren't you just giving up?"_

"_Huh?"_

"_Before, you were quite determined not to be tempted into this dark place. You resisted that creature's enticing words." Her mother's voice became more serious, the warm emotion in her voice evaporated. "Answer. Are you giving up on the world of the living?"_

"_I-I just-!" Maka stammered indecisively, unsure of how to answer._

"_Your partner…what was his name?"_

"_Soul." Maka answered reflexively._

"_That's right…Soul Eater Evans… I feel bad for him. He will soon lose the only thing he ever held dear to him."_

"_What?"_

"_His meister will die. You, Maka, will die. And he will become lost to insanity. That is the fate of this duo, I'm afraid." The older woman spoke nonchalantly, sighing heavily._

"_YOU'RE WRONG!" Maka yelled abruptly. Her mother glanced at Maka, whose eyes glared back intensely. _

"_Now, Maka, don't get upset. Everyone dies at some point in their lives. Death's just visited you a little earlier than most people is all." The woman placed a hand on Maka's shoulder in a consoling fashion. Maka shrugged it off._

"_Why don't you just give up, Maka? After all…" Her mother stood up and leaned down so she was level with her daughter's face, "You can't fight death."_

_Maka stared into the eyes that so closely resembled hers, before smiling back at her mother._

"_No…I think I understand now, Mama. I understand that no matter how much pain I'm in, others carry that pain as well. And the reason they carry this burden…is because they care about me."_

_Her mother's expression softened, and she wrapped her arms around Maka's neck, pulling her close. Maka felt a chill run down her spine, but sighed lightly into her mother's shoulder as her mother whispered into her ear._

"_You don't have to go back though. I can take you with me. But only…if you wish it." Her mother drew away from the young girl, holding out her hand invitingly. _

"_Mama…what do you mean, 'take you with me'?. It's like you're saying that you're here to greet me at heaven's door or something. And that could only be possible if you were…" Maka's voice trailed off in shocked realization._

"_Listen to me, Maka. You don't have much time left. If you must live, then run. You must leave me here, and run back from where you came from. Do you understand?"_

"_But…Mama, I can't-!" Maka stuttered in a stunned manner that left her almost breathless._

"_Yes, you can. Go, and live your life while you still have it." The woman's voice cracked, and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. Maka uncertainly took a step away from her precious mother whom she had only just met, before turning tail and running as fast as she could in the opposite direction. _

"_Mama…Thank you."_

Maka's eyes snapped open with a sudden intake of air. Immediately, tears began overflowing from her eyes. Stein, Soul, and her father gathered around her bed, Soul was speaking words that sounded relieved, Stein wore a slight smile on his face, and Spirit grinned from ear to ear. She had broken the curse. She was going to be fine.

"Maka, hey what's wrong?" Soul broke into Maka's line of blurred vision as he inclined his head in front of her face. She hurriedly brushed away her tears, and smiled.

"I'm great." She answered, glancing over him to Spirit, who smiled goofily through his own tears. "Thank you, everyone."

"It wasn't a problem." Stein shrugged, before taking a slip of paper from his lab coat pocket, and handing it to Maka. "Follow those instructions for a quick recovery. Understand?"

"Yes. Thanks again." Maka nodded as the man waved goodbye and left.

"Well, all's well that ends well." Spirit grinned, before turning to follow Stein out.

"Papa, wait! I need to talk to you about something!" Maka spoke loudly.

"Rest, first. We'll talk tomorrow." Spirit frowned playfully at Maka, before disappearing behind her door.

"But-!"

"You're old man's right. You should go to sleep. It's been a long month." Soul smirked at her reborn impatience.

"Fine…" Maka pouted, before leaning back into her pillow. Soul patted the place on her blanket where her leg lay beneath it.

"I'm glad you're ok. Really glad. You're not as un-cool as I thought you were, partner."

"Same to you, _partner_." Maka laughed. "Thank you. Really."

"Any time."

For the time being, she would forget about the new questions that were sprouting in her mind. She was alive, and Soul was happy. She too was contented, as she looked into Soul's bright-eyed, wicked expression.

But the fact still remained that she had discovered a secret she had never wanted to know. A dark reality that restrained a piece of herself to a shadowed, isolated part of her heart.

This small portion of herself wished for one thing, and one thing only.

The truth.

* * *

**END. HAHAHAHAHA YESSSS. YESSSS! i finishhheeedddd! good good good! lets start on sequel sequel sequel! WOO! hellz yea. ok, so I kno, its a crappy way 2 end this, but what come next is all relevent to the sequel, so i'm starting now. ^^ i hope u liked "part 1" i've never written sequels 2 my fanfix b4, so this is my first time doing that. **

**Thx 2 everyone who's been keeping up with this ^^ i probably wouldn't have continued if no one left their reviews (i have that terrible habit of starting fanfix and stopping halfway through wen i lose inspiration)^^ you all pump me up and encourage me 2 keep writing! many thanx. i luv u long time!  
**


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